If you are a home owner, you may find an easy way to reduce your energy costs by draught proofing your sash windows. Homes lose a third or more of their heat through preventable leaks and drafts, and sash windows are often a leading culprit. Here are some things to consider when addressing this problem.
Sash windows often cause a lion’s share of a home’s heat loss, in part because they are often older than other windows and thus less technologically advanced in design. There are several strategies you can try to abate or eliminate drafts and heat loss around sash windows, and they each have their own pluses and minuses.
A quick way to reduce drafts around windows is to hang blinds, curtains, shades, or other window coverings over the offending windows. Window coverings help reduce heat loss, but they are not as effective as other more substantial approaches. Meanwhile, drapes and curtains need to be cleaned, repaired, and eventually replaced, all of which adds costs that offset whatever energy cost savings they may affect.
You could also opt to completely replace your drafty windows with new, double-glazed, energy efficient windows. Doing so, however, would cost quite a bit. As expensive as this would be, it would be even more expensive to have custom windows made to guarantee matching your home’s original design.
Another effective and lasting solution is to have a new glazing applied to your old windows. This approach can modernize the window panes without compromising the original frame and sash design. Re-glazing, along with the removal and overhaul of the window units, including upgrading the worn parts and fixtures, offers the most complete defense against heat loss through the windows.
Upgrading your sash windows may be expensive, but the long term savings in energy costs will far outweigh the one-time repair and upgrade costs. Additionally, resealing the windows will reduce external noise. The upgrade will also add years to the life of your entire window unit through the repair and replacement of worn parts.
There are many ways to reduce heat loss in your home, and most of them are worth pursuing. But attending to your window units is the most significant way to increase your home’s energy efficiency. The initial casts may seem high, but in the long run they will be out weighed by the savings you’ll receive when you reduce your energy costs by draught proofing your sash windows.
Find the best sash window insulation company to use by looking online. There you can find secondary glazing London and other areas to consider using. Head online today and learn more.
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